Get rid of fleas on puppies by working with a veterinarian, avoiding the use of harmful chemicals and giving frequent baths with a gentle shampoo. Avoid allowing a puppy to get fleas in the first place with tips from aprofessional dog trainer in this free video on puppy flea control. Expert: Heidi Dixner Contact: www.redrovercomeover.com Bio: Heidi Dixner has been training dogs professionally since 2001 and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 2003. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

For more please visit: www.DogExplorer.com – comments are moderated! Follow us on Twitter http – Every year pet owners suffer the same frustrations. Warmer weather means more parasites, especially fleas! And, despite good, veterinary approved products, some pets are still subjected to these nasty bugs! What can we do to stop the infestation? Fleas are truly a pet owner’s curse and worst nightmare. Designed to survive and efficient at reproducing, these blood-sucking pests can quickly overrun house and home! In addition to causing misery for our pets, fleas have the potential to carry serious, even deadly diseases. In order to defeat this enemy, we need to understand their life cycle and dispel persistent myths that lead to ineffective flea control. For every adult flea seen on a dog or cat, there are about 95 other fleas in various life stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) around the pet’s environment. The failure to address the juvenile life stages is a primary reason why owners never seem to win any battles against fleas. People also misunderstand how adult fleas interact with pets. Once an adult flea finds your pet, there is very little short of death that will remove that flea from your dog or cat. People want to believe that fleas jump from pet to pet, like it is often depicted in cartoons. The fact is once a flea starts taking a blood meal from an animal, the flea will die within two hours if removed from the pet. Pets acquire fleas by picking them up from the …

Fleas are pesky parasites and have adapted very well to living in our houses. In fact, houses are at the perfect temperature and humidity to become hatching factories for fleas. I no longer recommend flea control just in the spring and summer, but prefer to use flea control on pets all year round. It is better to prevent a flea infestation that try to eradicate one. One flea can hitch a ride on your pants leg from visiting a friends house, and if this flea is a female, chances are she already laden with thousands of eggs. Fortunately, fleas prefer to feast on the smaller critters rather than humans, because our pet’s body temperature is a few degrees higher than ours. But if the dog, cat or ferret are not present, then fleas will indeed bite a human.

To control fleas, you must have an understanding of the flea life cycle and the points in that life cycle where they are vulnerable to eradication. You also need to know what products that will kill the fleas and which ones are safe for your pets. Because some people may have more than one species of pets in the household, you do not want to use a product on a dog that may be potentially toxic to a cat or a ferret.

We will start with the life cycle of the flea.

A female flea begins to feed on her host as soon as she hops a ride. Her blood meal nourishes the eggs and egg production begins within 20 to 24 hours after her first feeding.

Female fleas can lay 20 to 50 eggs a day and 2000 in her lifetime.

The female flea consumes 15 times her weight in blood a day.

A flea bites your pet 400 times a day.

The “flea dirt” found on your pet is the flea feces made of your pet’s blood. You can tell it is flea dirt if you put a small amount on a white paper towel and apply a small amount of water. As the dirt dissolves it will turn the paper towel red.

The eggs are pearly white, oval and about 0.5 mm in length.

The term “salt and pepper” refers to the flea eggs that are about the size of a grain of salt and the flea dirt that falls off of the pet. It is most notable on the bedding of the pet or where ever the pet lays.

The eggs are laid on the pet and roll off the pet into the environment.

Depending on the temperature and humidity, fleas can go from eggs to adults in as little as 13 days to as long as 8 months.

The flea eggs hatch into flea larvae which look similar to small maggots covered with tiny hairs.

The flea larvae do not like light and will crawl through the carpet to seek darkness under the furniture, in cracks and crevices of cushions and in other out of the way areas.

This is one reason why traditional “flea bombs” are sometimes ineffective. The spray goes up and comes back down, and does not reach where the larvae are hiding and feeding.

Flea larvae feed on the adult flea blood feces dropped off your pet and other organic matter in your carpet.

The length of the larval stage of the flea is dependent on the temperature and humidity of the house.

The next stage of development is the pupae or cocoon.

The larvae builds the cocoon and uses some of the debris in the environment such as carpet fibers into the shell of the cocoon.

The shell of the cocoon is now “glued” into the carpet and impossible to vacuum up.

The shell also provides protection from the elements and also insecticides.

Fleas will emerge from the cocoon when the temperature is around 24° (75.2° F) and a relative humidity of 78%.

The flea can remain in the cocoon for up to 30 weeks.

The flea will emerge from the cocoon when stimulated by:

Mechanical pressure or vibrations- such as someone or a pet walking by.

CO2 – Carbon dioxide from the pet or person breathing.

Increased temperature.

Homeowners away for a vacation can sometimes experience the sudden hatch out of thousands of fleas that were in the cocoon state ready to emerge. The vibrations of the owners returning and the exhaled carbon dioxide coupled with the air conditioner turning back on will stimulate the fleas to emerge and start to bite anything that is near. This sudden hatch out can also occur in vacant houses that have just been moved into.

Now that you understand the life cycle of the flea, let us find the points that the flea can be killed.

The first point is on the pet. There are newer products available that are safe to use and will kill the flea with in the first 24 hours of the flea jumping on the pet. Why is this important? Remember that the flea does not start laying eggs until 20 to 24 hours after her first blood meal. If you can kill the female flea before she begins to lay eggs, you are a giant leap ahead of controlling your flea population.

Point number two. Intermittently applying flea control products will result in gaps in your flea control that will result in female fleas laying eggs that can hatch out a year later. I recommend that you use the flea preventative products once a month all year round. Consider the flea not as a seasonal critter, but an indoor monster waiting to hatch out of your carpet and suck your pet’s blood.

Point number three. The eggs and cocoons have a protective shell that make them resistant to the insecticides. The larvae and the adult fleas are the only stages that can be killed by insecticides.

Point number four. Insect growth regulators are effective to keep flea eggs from hatching, but are difficult to apply in the areas that the flea eggs are hiding.

Point number five – Frequent use of insecticides in your house and yard can build up and may cause toxicity to you and your family.For these reasons, I do not like insecticide foggers or bombs in the house. They do not get in the areas that hide the fleas and they contain insecticides that can build up in your house.

Advantage has unique crystals that are not harmful to mammals, but totally incapacitate the fleas. There is a 99% kill rate within 12 hours after applying the advantage. The obvious advantage is it kills the female flea before she begins to lay her eggs, thus breaking the life cycle. The other advantage is the imidacloprid crystals that are attached to the hairs of the pet fall off the animal into the environment, i.e. the carpet, etc. as the pet sheds hair. When the larvae emerge from the safe confines of their egg shell and come in contact with the crystals in the carpet, the result is another dead flea larvae within 2o minutes.

So by applying the advantage product to your pet once a month, all year round, you are also effectively treating the environment as the fleas are hatching out.

ADVANTAGE-Multi

(imidacloprid/moxidectin)

Advantage – multi contains the imidacloprid like the Advantage but also contains moxidectin. By adding moxidectin advantage- multi prevents heartworm disease, kills adult fleas and controls flea infestations, and treats and controls intestinal worms (hookworms and roundworms). Advantage-multi is applied once a month for both cats and dogs. We have also used it to control ear mites and other mites. Advantage -multi is only available with a prescription but is well worth it for what it covers.

Revolution

Revolution is the first-ever FDA-approved, topically applied medication for dogs and cats that kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching out, treats and controls earmites, treats and controls sarcoptic mange, and also helps control the brown dog tick. Revolution contains selamectin and is topically applied. Revolution then enters the bloodstream through the skin. Concentrations of Revolution in the blood and tissues prevent heartworm disease and treats the intestinal parasites (hookworms and roundworms). Revolution selectively redistributes from the blood to the skin, where it provides protection against fleas, flea eggs, American dog tick, and mites. I recommend the Revolution be applied once a month to both dogs and cats all year round. Revolution is also only available with a prescription.

Vectra 3D

Vectra 3D for dogs contains 3 ingredients dinotefuran, pyriproxyfen, permethrin. Because cats are sensitive to permethrins, you cannot use the Vectra 3D dog product on cats. The combination of Vectra’s ingredients help to protect dogs from 4 species of ticks, 3 species of mosquitoes and all stages of fleas.

Dinotefuran is a quick-kill insecticide discovered by researchers at Mitsui Chemicals. A third generation neonicotinoid, dinotefuran was synthesized with acetycholine as the lead compound, making it different from other flea control products currently in use which are based on nicotine.

Over the last 10 years, fleas have developed tolerance to older products, making them less effective in protecting pets from infestation and infection.

In addition, dinotefuran does not bind to the same insect receptor sites in the nerve synapse as imidacloprid and other neonicotinoids. The binding is permanent causing continuous nerve stimulation and death of the insect. Ingestion is not necessary. Dinotefuran kills by contact.

In numerous studies and clinics across the U.S., Vectra® vectoricides – which are based on the compound dinotefuran – have killed fleas quickly and safely for a full 30 days between applications.

The permethrin helps repel mosquitoes and ticks is not adequate enough to totally protect from heartworms. If you are using Vectra 3D for fleas, you should also use a heartworm preventative to protect from heartworms and intestinal parasites. Vectra 3D is also applied topically once a month and should also be used year round.

Promeris

ProMeris® for dogs is a topical, waterproof spot-on product for the control of existing flea and tick infestations, as well as the prevention of re-infestation, in dogs and puppies 8 weeks and older.ProMeris for dogs contains metaflumizone, as well as amitraz. A single dose effectively stops and controls flea and tick infestations, prevents flea re-infestations for up to six weeks, and tick re-infestations for up to four weeks. Monthly application is generally recommended for optimal control of fleas and ticks.

The Amitraz in Promeris is also effective againt Demodectic Mange in dogs.

Promeris does not protect your pet from heartworms or intestinal parasites.

ProMeris for cats is a topical, spot-on product for the effective control of existing flea infestations and prevention of re-infestations in cats and kittens 8 weeks and older. It’s the only product available from a veterinarian that contains a proven, active ingredient called metaflumizone, and research shows fleas are readily susceptible.

ProMeris for cats is available with a prescription:

Effectively stops and controls infestations and prevents re-infestations of fleas for up to seven weeks

Provides optimal flea control with one monthly dose

May be used as part of a treatment strategy for flea allergy dermatitis

Comfortis

Comfortis® is the first FDA-approved, chewable, beef-flavored tablet that kills fleas and prevents flea infestations on dogs for a full month.

Only Comfortis® offers you all of these benefits in a single product:

Fast, month-long flea protection

Starts killing fleas within 30 minutes

Lasts a full month

Kills fleas before they can lay eggs

The convenience of a chewable, beef-flavored tablet

COMFORTIS chewable tablets contain (spinosad) . Spinosad is a member of the spinosyns class of insecticides, which are non-antibacterial tetracyclic macrolides. Because it is ingested, the flea must bite the dog to receive the deadly dose. Comfortis also does not treat the environment so you will continue to find fleas for several months until all the eggs, larvae and pupae have completed their life cycle.

Comfortis does not protect your pet from heartworms, intestinal parasites, ticks or mites and is only effective against the fleas. You must use other products in conjunction with Comfortis to protect from the other parasites.

Capstar

Capstar contains nitenpyran and is also given orally. It is effective at killing fleas in 30 minutes and the flea must bite the dog to get the lethal dose. Capstar is only effective for one day so I seldom use it especially when other products that last the full month are available. Capstar is only used to kill fleas and does not protect your pet from heatworms, intestinal parasites, mites or ticks.

A few words about OTC (over the counter) flea medications. It has been my experience that the OTC flea spot-ons sprays and flea collars are NOT effective flea control products and I do not recommend them.

As you can see, there is a variety of products available for flea control. Each one has it’s own merits and covers different parasites. If you seem at all confused, get with your veterinarian and discuss with him or her what products they recommend. Since I live in a mosquito, flea, tick, and intestinal parasite hot bed in Houston, TX, my preference has been Revolution because it covers almost everything and because it is absorbed through the skin, bathing does not remove the product. Also cats are now getting heartworms so I am also recommending the Revolution be applied to cats year round to help prevent heartworm disease. I also like the Revolution for the earmite and sarcoptic mange control as well as the intestinal parasite control.

I have given a brief synopsis and links to the supporting websites so you can be an educated consumer.

With several products available for flea control on your pets, fleas can be a thing of the past. Just the thought of seeing a flea can send pet owners into a panic. Just one flea can be the start of a nightmare! With many good products available for flea control, it is easier than ever to protect your pets. Let’s look at some ways to control fleas in your dogs and cats.

Providing your dogs and cats with the most complete spot-on flea and tick protection available, Frontline Plus kills almost all of the fleas on your pet within 24 hours. It also contains an ingredient to kill the flea eggs and larvae, too. This product interrupts the life cycle of the flea, successfully stopping the development of new fleas.

Applied to the back of the neck on dogs and cats as young as 8 weeks old, Advantage kills 98% of fleas within 12 hours, and continues to work up to one month per application.

New Advantix Blue also repels and kills a majority of ticks and mosquitoes, killing 98-100% of fleas on dogs within the first 10-12 hours, and continuing to protect your dog for up to four weeks. Advantix Blue, however, cannot be used on cats.

Controlling fleas and ticks on your pets also may prevent your pet from the diseases these pests carry. Protect your pet and keep your home and environment free from fleas with a good flea control program. All of these flea and tick control products can be purchased from www.luvurdog.com, so there is no need to panic!

Shedding is a natural process for dogs and is normally linked to the amount of sun the dog is exposed to during the day. Outside dogs shed their coats in the fall and then in the spring. Shepherds, Huskies and other long haired dogs can shed their undercoats all at once, commonly called “blowing their coats”. Inside only dogs will shed on a daily basis because the lights are on in the house from early in the morning till late at night and this has “tricked” the dog’s natural biology to think it is summer every day.

FURminator Long Hair deShedding Tool for Large Dogs (Blade: 4″ Width; For Dogs 51-90 lbs.; Long Hair; For hair longer than 2″ length)

FURminator deShedding Tool for Large DogsThe patented FURminator deShedding Tool for Large Dogs quickly and easily removes (it doesn’t cut, it removes) the loose, dead, undercoat hair that’s the underlying source of a pet owner’s major complaint – shedding and the allergies and cleanliness problems associated with it. The grooming brush’s uniquely designed stainless steel edge grabs loose undercoat hair and harmlessly removes it without damaging the topcoat. FURejector button cleans and removes loose hair from the tool with ease, simply push the button to release the hair.FURminator deShedding Tool for Large Dogs features a sleek, ergonomic handle that makes the tool easy to grip. Short and long hair coat breeds have different grooming needs and now the FURminator deShedding Tool for Large Dogs is specifically designed to meet the needs of your dog’s coat. Choose the long or short hair version to make grooming your pet faster and easier. The stainless steel edge reaches deep beneath your dog’s long or short topcoat to safely remove undercoat and loose hair faster and easier. Your pet’s lustrous coat is an indication of the superb care you provide for him. By reducing shedding by up to 90%, the FURminator deShedding Tool enables you to share your home with your beloved pet, without surrendering it to his pet hair.

Excessive shedding can be caused by parasites, (fleas, mites, lice and ticks), poor nutrition, allergies, hormonal imbalances and some genetic conditions. If your dog is scratching incessantly, or if the skin is red, crusty or has sores on it, then the hair loss is more than just simple shedding and warrants a visit to your veterinarian.
As far as controlling the normal shedding on the dog, frequent brushing and combing is necessary. Brushing your dog on a daily basis will at least control where the hair lands and also allows you to check for matts, parasites,lumps and sores on your dog.

The furminator has also been a great tool to get the loose hair off the dog easier. The furminator uses a clipper blade that can cut the hair. You must go in the direction of hair growth and only stroke one area one or two times. Excessive use or going against the grain may leave your dog bald.

Regular grooming of your pet will reduce the shedding of hair throughout your house.

ProMeris® for Dogs is a topical, waterproof spot-on medication for the control of existing flea and tick infestations, as well as the prevention of re-infestation, in dogs and puppies 8 weeks and older. For Dogs over 11 lbs and up to 22 lbs. Effective on indoor and outdoor dogs. Each package contains 3 applicators (0.045 fl.oz. each). ProMeris for dogs uses the active ingredient metaflumizone to kill fleas. Metaflumizone, a new compound in veterinary medicine, is proven to protect against fleas, including those that may cause flea allergy dermatitis. The single spot application is easy to use. Buy ProMeris for Dogs to kill and prevent flea and tick effectively. New mode of action – voltage dependent sodium channel blocker Flea control for today’s flea challenges Long-lasting flea control for up to 6 weeks. Kills fleas that may cause flea allergy dermatitis Kills ticks that may transmit Lyme disease, canine ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever WaterproofActive Ingredients: Metaflumizone …..14.34% Amitraz…..14.34% Other Ingredients…..71.32%Directions for Use: For control of fleas and ticks, apply the entire contents of the applicator to a single spot on the skin of the dog between shoulder blades. Do NOT apply on the surface of dog’s hair coat. Avoid contact with treated area until dry. Avoid allowing the product to come in contact with your skin. Monthly application is recommended for effective control of fleas and ticks and to prevent re-infestation. Do NOT apply more than once monthly.

Advantage Purple kills fleas on cats fast. Advantage kills 98% of fleas within 12 hours and continues to work for up to one month per application. It also breaks the flea life cycle by killing flea larvae. Advantage can be used on kittens 8 weeks old. Also, it is safe for use on pregnant and nursing cats. Advantage is water-resistant, so it kills fleas even after shampooing and exposure to rain. Advantage is applied to the back of the neck on cats. Protect your pet and buy Advantage today. Effective Flea Control . . . No Prescription Required!Guaranteed US EPA approved. Contains imidacloprid, the fastest flea control, which kills adult fleas within 12 hours Each package of this long lasting topical lasts for 4 or 6 months Easy-squeeze tube makes application quick and easy.